Ul'lanna spent the night in Yamada's bed, with him sleeping next to Gwyneth, staring wide eyed at the ceiling. At the crack of dawn like a robot, Yamada opened his eyes, rolling to look off the bed. He noticed Ul'lanna staring vacantly at the ceiling and let out a yelp, scurrying back. Gwyneth let out a groan and frowned, pulling him in tight. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Do Elves sleep with their eyes open?" Yamada nervously whispered. Gwyneth peeked over his shoulder, seeing Ul'lanna's stare. "Maybe she sleeps with her eyes open?" "It's bold of you two, to assume that I slept." She said. Yamada scratched his head. "Is the bed not comfortable?" He asked, poking it. She craned her neck slowly towards him, her eyes bloodshot and bulging. "Do you not know who you're sleeping next to?"
He glanced over his shoulder to Gwyneth resting her head on his shoulder. He cocked an eyebrow at Ul'lanna and shrugged. "Gwyneth Lockhart?" He said hesitantly. Ul'lanna leapt out of the bed pointing a finger at her. "She's the Butcher! One of the seven Grand knights, who created the Silver graveyard, 25 years ago." Yamada cocked his head to the side, looking at her like a confused puppy. "But there are only six Grand Knights?" Ul'lanna lurched forward in disbelief her jaw slowly dropping. "He isn't good with history." Gwyneth said turning off to go back to sleep. "So you lead an army with the others and beat a big army of Elves?" Yamada asked Gwyneth.
She was silent, and curled into a ball. "It wasn't just a big army of Elves, and they didn't have an army." Ul'lanna said, her body shaking, realizing she had spent the night next to the infamous Butcher. "There were 10,000 warriors, captains, and Commanders sent to flank the Citadel's mages. They were all slaughtered by only Seven Grand Knights." Gwyneth scoffed. "We left some of them to go running back and tell of our story." She said with a smile. "Now do you see why I didn't sleep?" Ul'lanna exclaimed.
Yamada was deep in thought scratching his chin. He turned back to Gywneth. "Wait...you did that 25 years ago? How old were you when did that?" Gwyneth spun around giving Yamada an incredulous glare. "How old do you think I am?" She asked. He shrugged with an awkward smile. "30 at most." She blushed, and sat up to kiss his cheek. "That's sweet, but I'm actually 48." Yamada's jaw dropped. "How old do you think she was, when she fought?" Ul'lanna asked sarcastically. "I don't know. She's pretty amazing, I figured maybe at 15 she fought." She cocked her head to the side. "Yamada, have you noticed no one in the Citadel looks over fifty?" Gwyneth asked. Yamada went to answer before freezing. The sudden realization hit him all at once. "The Citadel is home to the best Blessing magic, second only to the Silver City." Gwyneth said lying back down.
"Now, go do your drills, and take her with you." She said shooing them away. Yamada's face lit with excitement and joy. "Let's go see what Abaddon, did with your weapon. And then you can teach me how Elves fight." He said leaping out of bed. He was bare and exposed himself to her. Ul'lanna went red and quickly covered her eyes letting out a yelp. Yamada summoned his armour in response. "Sorry, forgot about that." She quickly rushed out of the room, heaving heavily. "Just get dressed!" She shouted through the door. "Don't be afraid of his short sword." Gwyneth called out.
Yamada quickly rushed out flushed with his leather clothes on. "Umm, we should get going." He said awkwardly taking point. She was silent and followed keeping her head down. This wasn't the first time she had seen a man naked. This was however the first time she saw a man that had seen her naked. Yamada lifted Harbinger up like nothing. The sight still mesmerised her, as they made their way to Abaddon's workshop. Ul'lanna kept her head down, following Yamada, feeling the callous stares from everyone. "How, come you haven't used Enk magic to store your sword, like the others?" Ul'lanna asked.
"We tried, but every time they fused into my cape, it would just spit it out. Something about my arcane energy rejecting the Enk magic." Yamada said flourishing Harbinger with one hand. "But that's alright, I think it will make me look scarier to have it hang on my back." He said smiling back at Ul'lanna. Surely not everyone in this place is this insane. Surely, it's simply a man, no a boy crazy enough to become a Forsaken Knight. Only they would be crazy enough to sleep with the Butcher. "YAMADA!" Jacara shouted. The two of them lurched forward squinting. To see Jacara, barrelling towards them like a raging bull. "You're late!" He shouted. "We were meant to meet at the gate over 20 minutes ago. This time, I'll even up our score."
"Ahhh, sorry. I was taking Ul'lanna to Abaddon, to get her things." He said bowing. Jacara spotted Ul'lanna standing behind Yamada. His eyes bulged with shock. Yamada popped back. "Bend back down." Jacara said in a trance. Yamada looked at him askance. "Are you okay?" He asked waving his hand in front of Jacara's face. Ul'lanna peeked over Yamada's shoulder. "Who's he?" She asked. Yamada spun around. "Oh this is-" Jacara slapped Yamada's face with the feather card and sent him flying across. Ul'lanna shook her head shocked as he crashed down the street. Jacara gave her a smouldering smile, or what he had always believed as one.
"Hi. My name is-" Ul'lanna ignored him, and ran towards to Yamada. Jacara stood frozen in place, feeling his heart shatter. Yamada shot up from the rubble, wearing his armour. "That doesn't count as a point." He growled. "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice filled with concern. Jacara clenched his fists and jaw. "Is not enough, you slept with Gwyneth, now you sleep with this angel?" He growled. Ul'lanna blushed, no one had ever complimented her beauty before. She just wish it didn't come from someone like this stranger. "Well it wasn't safe to let her sleep alone. And my bed was free-" Jacara shook his head in a over dramatic display of disbelief. "I'm sorry what did you say?" Yamada cocked his head to the side. "My bed was free...so she slept in it?"
"Um...Yamada, I don't think you're understanding what he's saying." Ul'lanna said tugging on his arm. "What? It's true though. It was you, me and Gwyneth, sleeping together in one room." Jacara sucked on his teeth, nodding his head. "One just isn't enough for you is it?" "Hey asshole, we didn't have sex." Ul'lanna snapped, quickly covering her mouth. She had planned to be docile as possible to avoid conflict. "Oh! That's what you meant. Why didn't you just say sex Jacara?" Yamada asked. Jacara!? Ul'lanna had just called the son of the strongest Mage an asshole. She fell to her knees quickly bowing to him. "I'm so sorry!" She shouted. "I did not mean to offend you Grand Mage Jacara." Jacara felt a great sense of joy rise through him, before it was cut down by Yamada's guffaw.
"He's not a Grand Mage." He snickered, holding his belly. "I'm the closest thing to one." Jacara growled. "Well since, I've beaten you in every duel. That makes me the closest thing to a Grand Knight then." Yamada said walking towards Abaddon's workshop. Jacara snarled, he refused to admit that Yamada, was that strong. Ul'lanna dusted off her knees, and jogged after Yamada, with Jacara following after them. "Do you two duel each other?" Ul'lanna asked. "Yes, and I've won four times." Jacara boasted, but only loud enough for Ul'lanna to hear. "How many times have you won Yamada?" She asked. Jacara quickly leapt onto Yamada's back, clasping his hand over his mouth. "Say once." He pleaded with a whisper. Yamada shrugged him off. "Thirty times to his four. And after today it will be forty to four." He said smirking at Jacara.
Ul'lanna was stunned, and followed Yamada in awe. This boy was more powerful than she ever thought. The three of them stood before Abaddon's sweaty back. He grunted with each swing, hammering something that refused to move to his will. "Elf." Abaddon growled, without turning his back. She took a gulp and stepped forward. "Who made this weapon for you?" He asked, placing his hammer to the side. "I don't know sir. It was given to me." She said trembling. "Bah. What a waste of Mythril." Abaddon spat, tossing aside her misshapen nodachi. "If you ever find the smith who created this, kill him for me." He said turning around and locking eyes with Ul'lanna. Jacara and Yamada were stunned to hear his anger. Ul'lanna was stunned to see the horrifying man. "I...Immortal...." She eeked out, before jumping behind Yamada.
"Hmpf. So you know what I am Elf girl." Ul'lanna nodded, pulling Yamada back and clinging on for dear life. "You know I'm a pretty good shield too." Jacara muttered angrily. "Relax little girl, it's not contagious. If it was the whole world would look like me." Abaddon said, walking off into the back of his shop. "Why are you scared of Abaddon? He's super nice." Yamada asked, pushing her away. "That's an Immortal!" Ul'lanna exclaimed. Yamada and Jacara cocked an eyebrow at her. "Do you two seriously know anything about the war?" She asked, glancing at the both of them. They locked eyes, both silent for a moment. "Yes." They answered in sync.
"Don't blame them girl. Unlike your kingdom, we simply wished to forget the past and move on." He said taking a seat. He gestured for her to come hither with his soot covered finger. She hesitantly approached him. Abaddon handed her an emerald katana, with a scabbard made of Kaioni wood. "It doesn't have your Mythril short cut. If you want to use magic with this weapon, you will need to learn to open the gate." He said dragging a chest of fixed armour. "Why did you make this for me?" She asked, inspecting the blade in wonder. "Because it makes me sick, when people use poorly made weapons. Now take it, and leave." He said with a warm smile.
Ul'lanna was still amazed as she strapped on her new armour. The armour was sleek and covered her vital areas, but exposed some for extra mobility, and flexibility. She gave him a deep bow. "Thank you." She said staring at the ground. "Know that this weapon comes with a price." He said with a deep sombre tone. "You now serve to protect the denizens of the Citadel. I expect you to kill those who wish my kingdom harm. Do you understand?" Ul'lanna stood up straight and nodded firmly. "Good. Now take this Yamada and practice wearing your sword with it. The war is almost here." He said slinging a long chain of Orichalcum to him. "Orichalcum chain, won't that be too much weight for him?" Ul'lanna asked. "You really, don't have a grasp of how freakishly strong he is." Jacara said. "On top of swinging that monstrosity, he calls Harbinger, his suit of armour is also made of pure Deiridium." Ul'lanna's eyes bulged open, her jaw slowly gaped. "How much weight is he roughly moving?" She asked Abaddon. "The sword, armour and chain, roughly make up 2.5 tonnes." He said casually walking into his shop. "Come on, let's go train." Yamada said summoning his armour and attaching Harbinger onto his back.
Rai had wandered into the forest, heading towards where Yamada had found Ul'lanna. He gagged at the grotesque sight of Yamada's conquest. The smell of rotting flesh and maggots permeated the area. He continued onwards, travelling the distance of a five day's march in less than six hours. Rai stopped when he spotted the black wisps of smoke, cresting out of the forest top. The war party was close, and had stopped for lunch. This was his chance to prove himself worthy of the title. Rai opened the gate to lightning magic, above his head. "Sunder." He chanted, before disappearing in a surge of golden lightning.